The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-05-30
BASE JAIL.

Some Crillclsms on the National Game for
Which 1t Ia Held Itosponsiblo.
7jh Editor Of he IahlltgeHeer.
SIR:-The game Of ball in como form
Is o very old sort Of an amusement. Every
school boy in the land, and every schooi
boy's grandfather, has played ball in his
day on the old familiar spot where he
learned to spell to read and to write. The
game of "town ball" Is associated In all
memories with q school house, and o
school master and the boys and girls who
were the companions oil our school days.
Il Is not strange therefore thst We are
apt to bu prejudiced in favor Of the came
ball, seen az 1t Is played to-day, Gs not only
one Of the most harmless but also n OF
the most manly OF our amusemenie. This
Ia the coloripg it had In our eyeo In juve.
nile days, and 1t Is hard 10 divert ourselves
Of liz Impressions received in those days.
We recall tho motto, dear to every school
boys heart, "all work and no play makes
Jack a dull boy" Literally interpreted,
this meant in former days that every
school boy should have an hour at least at
dinner time for ball playing, and not less
than two hours on Saturday afternoons,
There was also an extra half hour to be
had Tor ball by those who reached the
ground in the morning that much ahead
| OF the master.
This is the kind Of ball playing that il
associated with our early recollections o.
the game. We are prone therefore to be-
lieve in ball playing Us a healthful amuse
mont, healthiul for body and mind. WI
know that 1t did US good in these respect;
at least it never did us harm-and VT
say to ourselves every time we think Of it
"Iwould Iwere boy again,
Bcneal II the old oak Trees"
This is the sentiment that cluster.
around the game OF bali in the memories
| Of most Of us who are now far away from
our school days. There IL no favor o.
savor Of professionalism Of any kind iden,
t;fed with it. We call up nc recollection
Of admission fees, no hired players, nc
fancy costumes, 10 pootG, no gambling and
no decentralization. 1t was no part OF the
business Of lite to play ball. People did
not leave the workshops to 20 to the
grounds to witness the game. There were
no persons whose occupation it was to
gamble on the result. The youth of n
town were not im~patient!y excited 10 see
tie score in order to ascertain whether
they had MAIDS or lost 3 dollar. Nobody
ever heard OF the game OF bsli as In agency
for the train Of evil5 and decentralization
that o everywhere attend and chGrac-
teriza it. The difference between the
amateur game OF former days and the
professional game OF the day Ia Glmost as
great "a that between the May day dance
Of 8 village green and the midnight b3llet
dsnce Of a city beer ball.
The present craze for base ball is almost
SO much to he deprecated rs the Skating
rink craze OF late yesrs--a crazs that IS
now happily past, never to return sgain,
ss we sincerely hope. W. know Whist i
menace thst craze was aSslust the viTtu1
Of the young and thou2htless girls who
were drawn thithes. We axe yuE to real
izs how great G menace the Qurest game
Of professional base bali is TO the virtue OF
the boys OF the land who are being taught
by Wholesale not only to gamble on it,
but actually to regard it AZ a means for
making u fancy livelihood. To say that
we are educating a questionable cIGss OF
citizens is putting the menace mildly.
Ali the concomitant5 oil q las! lie are be-
ing stimulated and the way opened hot
only TO useless but to criminal careers. 4
widespread aversion to honest industry,
for learning a trade, and for ell the allow
going methods Of labor and economy ia
easily discernibls in the present Stage OF
the craze. The game as played to-day ia
responsible for this growing aversion TO
labor and this determination 10 get money
without rendering an equivalent, and
therefore it ID responsible for a great harm
to society. y.